Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but has there any indication if/when CUDA support for Linux will be released for SETI@home?

Thanks,

Space45

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Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but has there any indication if/when CUDA support for Linux will be released for SETI@home?

Thanks,

Space45

We've had CUDA for a while. At least if you have a 64bit Linux system.

You'll need to install the cuda app yourself into your projects/seti folder and use an appropriate app_info.xml file.

Here's the app you need. Others can help guide you with the appinfo.xml if the readme with the app is not enough.

Good luck. :-)



Now if you are asking when there will be stock Linux CUDA support, someone else will have to answer that.

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#resist

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but has there any indication if/when CUDA support for Linux will be released for SETI@home?

Thanks,

Space45

We've had CUDA for a while. At least if you have a 64bit Linux system.

You'll need to install the cuda app yourself into your projects/seti folder and use an appropriate app_info.xml file.

Here's the app you need. Others can help guide you with the appinfo.xml if the readme with the app is not enough.

Good luck. :-)



Now if you are asking when there will be stock Linux CUDA support, someone else will have to answer that.

Ok, thanks.

Does anyone know anything about stock Linux CUDA support?

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Ok, thanks.

Does anyone know anything about stock Linux CUDA support?

Yep, there isn't any, and AFAIK none is planned.

As with most things Linux it's DIY

This thread will give you an idea of what is involved plus some tips and tricks. It's a bit old but all that may be required is to update the file names in the app_info.xml file.

I found that to get CUDA to work on Linux, as well as the Nvidia driver I also had to download and install the CUDA Toolkit file.

What brand of Linux are you using ? The Nvidia driver and Toolkit should be available from your Distro repository.

T.A.

Yea I'd use the repository verison of the NVIDIA driver, not the newer ones as man they will give you problems. I think I'm at 295-ish which is Ubuntu/Mint's "nvidia-current".
I have no issues with that driver and the app I linked to earlier with kernel 3.2.0

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#resist

Now if we can get a Linux developer who can build Jason's CUDA app, it can be brought in as a stock app when SETI updates to v7.

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Now if we can get a Linux developer who can build Jason's CUDA app, it can be brought in as a stock app when SETI updates to v7.

I pointed the Debian Boinc Maintainers here, in case they are looking for something to do. :-)

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#resist

Now if we can get a Linux developer who can build Jason's CUDA app, it can be brought in as a stock app when SETI updates to v7.

If Terror-A speaks to me really nicely, I might do some of his assumed DIY in the FLOSS way such that everyone thereafter can have their own single click custom CUDA install for s@h for Boinc.

(You never know, I might even get round to that before Berkeley ramp up for the extra number crunching onslaught. Wait a moment... Is that why they haven't automated that bit? ;-) )


The rest of various Linux systems work very nicely with or without the DIY :-p

Happy freedom crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

If Terror-A speaks to me really nicely, I might do some of his assumed DIY in the FLOSS way such that everyone thereafter can have their own single click custom CUDA install for s@h for Boinc.

(You never know, I might even get round to that before Berkeley ramp up for the extra number crunching onslaught. Wait a moment... Is that why they haven't automated that bit? ;-) )


The rest of various Linux systems work very nicely with or without the DIY :-p

Martin, I always speak nicely to you. Even when I'm disagreeing with you. :)

In my experience there is always a bit of DIY involved with Linux. Take SAH CUDA for example, it's all 3rd party (without Crunch3r's and Aaron's efforts there wouldn't even be an app), and then after you install it you have to tweak "Niceness" etc. to make it crunch as effectively as "the other OS". :P

Not knocking Linux, just stating a fact.

I eagerly await the outcome of your FLOSSing

T.A.

In my experience there is always a bit of DIY involved with Linux. Take SAH CUDA for example, it's all 3rd party (without Crunch3r's and Aaron's efforts there wouldn't even be an app), and then after you install it you have to tweak "Niceness" etc. to make it crunch as effectively as "the other OS". :P

Not knocking Linux, just stating a fact.

I eagerly await the outcome of your FLOSSing

T.A.

Milkyway, Einstein, Poem, WCG... All of them have stock Linux GPU apps, why is so difficult to have one here? x41g is running fine, why not make it a stock app for v6 and v7?

In my experience there is always a bit of DIY involved with Linux. Take SAH CUDA for example, it's all 3rd party (without Crunch3r's and Aaron's efforts there wouldn't even be an app), and then after you install it you have to tweak "Niceness" etc. to make it crunch as effectively as "the other OS". :P

Not knocking Linux, just stating a fact.

I eagerly await the outcome of your FLOSSing

T.A.

Milkyway, Einstein, Poem, WCG... All of them have stock Linux GPU apps, why is so difficult to have one here? x41g is running fine, why not make it a stock app for v6 and v7?

With v7 close, the project hasn't been focussed on updating v6 apps, despite many known issues having been resolved in more mature builds. With the project having limited resources, development was handed to us external volunteer devs after direct involvement from nVidia having gone by the wayside & to my knowledge AMD not having had any on the table.

The Cuda v7 x41zc apps are intended for stock on the switch to v7. For Windows this has been under third party public beta, test Mac builds have been made in Alpha, and it's likely someone will provide any minor patches necessary prior to v7 going live for one or more stock Linux builds.

So come v7 introduction, I'm expecting apps for all three major platforms will either come out at once (as stock), or fairly closely staggered as any last minute issues are found & fixed. IMO it's highly unlikely any of the now dated v6 GPU apps will be upgraded on main, or additional platforms added, until then.

Jason

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

This is a feature that I'm very interested in. Is there any way I could help?

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This is a feature that I'm very interested in. Is there any way I could help?

Quite possibly, if you're familiar with building applications under Linux ;). Check out & take a look at the sources [ https://setisvn.ssl.berkeley.edu/svn/branches/sah_v7_opt/Xbranch ], which will be right-ish for Pre-V7 builds, and require some modification for update to V7.

I've already been given some patches to apply for the Mac build, which will probably cover at least some of what's needed. Just finding time for that as I can, while the Mac build is in alpha testing an Crunchers Anonymous.

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

This is a feature that I'm very interested in. Is there any way I could help?

Quite possibly, if you're familiar with building applications under Linux ;). Check out & take a look at the sources [ https://setisvn.ssl.berkeley.edu/svn/branches/sah_v7_opt/Xbranch ], which will be right-ish for Pre-V7 builds, and require some modification for update to V7.

I've already been given some patches to apply for the Mac build, which will probably cover at least some of what's needed. Just finding time for that as I can, while the Mac build is in alpha testing an Crunchers Anonymous.

As a matter of fact, I am good at Linux development. :) I'll see what I can do with the sources. I presume that CUDA support is in the main branch?

However, my Linux machine only has an Intel GPU (Ivy Bridge). I've found an old GeForce 7300GS with 256MB of RAM. Will this work with BOINC and SETI@home?

Also, where could I find the Mac patches?

Thanks,

Space45

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As a matter of fact, I am good at Linux development. :) I'll see what I can do with the sources. I presume that CUDA support is in the main branch?

However, my Linux machine only has an Intel GPU (Ivy Bridge). I've found an old GeForce 7300GS with 256MB of RAM. Will this work with BOINC and SETI@home?

Also, where could I find the Mac patches?

Thanks,

Space45

Great! :D Ok, 7300 is pre_Cuda I believe ( see https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus. Even though you;d be unable to run it, I suspect this wouldn't prevent you attempting a build, with the appropriate Cuda toolkit in place etc, & spotting more obvious makefile issues etc.

I have the preliminary Mac alpha patches here, which I was given privately. I'll be committing to that svn branch as soon as I can go through them carefully (hopefully in a day or so). I'm not expecting a lot of complications, as from what I can see the app works on at least some OSX variants.

Jason

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

This is a feature that I'm very interested in. Is there any way I could help?

Quite possibly, if you're familiar with building applications under Linux ;). Check out & take a look at the sources [ https://setisvn.ssl.berkeley.edu/svn/branches/sah_v7_opt/Xbranch ], which will be right-ish for Pre-V7 builds, and require some modification for update to V7.

I've already been given some patches to apply for the Mac build, which will probably cover at least some of what's needed. Just finding time for that as I can, while the Mac build is in alpha testing an Crunchers Anonymous.

As a matter of fact, I am good at Linux development. :) I'll see what I can do with the sources. I presume that CUDA support is in the main branch?

Great :)

However, my Linux machine only has an Intel GPU (Ivy Bridge). I've found an old GeForce 7300GS with 256MB of RAM. Will this work with BOINC and SETI@home?

256MiB would be enough on a Windows system, with a bit of fiddling - I've never seen a Linux memory footprint but as Linux is usually better with its resources it should work.

However, what doesn't work (as was pointed out to me, that's 'before my time') is the card itself. A GeForce 7300 is pre-cuda, so can't be used for this purpose. You'd need at least a 8400GS or so. there's a list here. They are pretty cheap to buy these days, even new, but they are not very cost effective regarding output/watts used.

Also, where could I find the Mac patches?

Not publicly available yet - you'll have to wait for Jason to commit them to Berkeley's SVN repository or handed privately.

William the Silent

edit: I see the boss beat me to it.

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A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read. (Mark Twain)

However, my Linux machine only has an Intel GPU (Ivy Bridge). I've found an old GeForce 7300GS with 256MB of RAM. Will this work with BOINC and SETI@home?
,

Space45

Then you can try to checkout and build OpenCL apps instead.
They could work on Ivy Bridge GPU though I have troubles with MultiBeam for now. AstroPulse works under windows on Ivy Bridge GPU, it would be interesting how Linux port would behave.

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SETI apps news
We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them.

I know resources are pretty sparse at this point, I wonder if we had another fund drive, and see how much we could raise to try and support one of our top notch Linux developers, maybe raising enough for them to be able to take a sabbatical from work for a few weeks/months, to knock out these versions for both 6 & 7? I know we probably have fund drive fatigue right now, but imagine how well things would go if they had that type of (hopefully) uninterrupted time to devote to one project. It would be spectacular. Not likely to happen, but would be interesting if someone with deep pockets who happened to be a Linux fan thought it was a great idea. Just tossin' it out there.. ;-)

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While the code cutters are listening. :)

In my experiments with Linux I found that the current x41g linux app fell over when a large number of video cards were involved.

I built a machine using 7 GTS250 GPU's. Under Windows XP 32 bit I could quite happily feed the cards using an E7200 2 core processor (GPU crunching only). Under Windows the crunching times per unit of each card were normal for a GTS250. Processor usage was around 5% to 10% per core.

I then installed a clean build of Mageia 64 bit Linux on the same hardware. I installed BOINC with the 41g Linux app and a known good app_info.xml file and known good settings for "Niceness" and other parameters.

The system fell in a heap. Processor usage climbed to around 80% per core and crunching times for nearly tripled. I then swapped out the E7200 for a quad core CPU. This made a difference but CPU usage was still high and crunching times were still 150% to 200% above normal.

Through my investigations I came to the conclusion that the problem was due to congestion on the PCIE bus, but as I'm a "hardware man" I was unable to ascertain whether this was a problem with the app or a Linux problem.

As many of the top crunchers are now running 8 GPU's in the one machine, if the Linux app is to be competitive this is something that will need to be looked at.

Thanks to all for your efforts with the Linux app. I'm not knocking, just bringing a problem to your attention.

T.A.

I'm trying to compile the Xbranch linked earlier under Linux. However, I keep getting dependency errors about BOINC C++ headers. Since I'm using Ubuntu, I have installed the boinc-dev package.

However, I've noticed that the boinc header files are included with quotes. Am I supposed to have the BOINC header files in the local tree?

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